Foreign naval ship visits to New Zealand.

[nuuumannn]

Hi Guys,

When I was a youngster we moved to Auckland for my parents' work and whenever there was an unusual ship that visited Auckland harbour, we used to go down and take a look if we could. I remember a few in particular, including the carrier HMS Invincible (I've seen pics of her Sea Harriers at Whenuapai on the forum somewhere from this visit), the nuclear cruiser USS Texas, although it didn't dock and sat in the middle of the harbour - this one was infamous for the amount of protesting that went on during its stay; a can of paint was hurled at the bow and the US Navy sued the New Zealand govt for damages, if I can remember correctly! The nuclear sub USS Haddo, the destroyer USS Oldendorf, a number of RAN vessels, including the submarine HMAS Otama, which was opened to the public. I also remember visits by the likes of the QE II and Jacques Cousteau's ship the Calypso, too.

Does anyone else have any recollections of ship visits and photos, if possible?

[nuuumannn]

In answer to my own request, I happened to enter USS Texas cruiser (its also the only Dreadnought era battleship to survive; in Houston, Texas) in the search engine and the first image that popped up was one of it in Auckland. You can see the harbour bridge in the background.

newzealandantinuclear.weebly.com/refusal-of-american-nuclear-ships-to-new-zealand.html

[Bruce]

Nov 5, 2014 11:15:05 GMT 12 nuuumannn said:

In answer to my own request, I happened to enter USS Texas cruiser (its also the only Dreadnought era battleship to survive; in Houston, Texas) in the search engine and the first image that popped up was one of it in Auckland. You can see the harbour bridge in the background.

newzealandantinuclear.weebly.com/refusal-of-american-nuclear-ships-to-new-zealand.html

to clarify..That particular USS Texas was not the Dreadnought - It was launched in 1975. But yes it visited NZ and was one of the visiting nuclear - powered ships of the early 80s that sparked the debate

[nuuumannn]

That particular USS Texas was not the Dreadnought - It was launched in 1975.

I did mean the name "Texas" of the New York Class battleship launched in 1912 preserved in Houston, used for the Virginia Class nuclear powered cruiser also. The cruiser was deactivated in 1993 after only 15 years service.

[raymond]

Went on board the Haddo , kitchen had an icecream making machine, control room was real interesting!

[suthg]

The USS Enterprise CVN-65 visited Wellington - parked alongside Kapiti Is IIRC in Oct 1964 as her draft was too much for the harbour at low tide.

A few photos exist in the Archives:





A North American A-5 Vigilante bomber - (also as RA-5C in Vietnam) initially A3J Vigilante en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_A-5_Vigilante

I'll search for more. She was the world's first nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier.

En route to New Zealand, a large radar contact rapidly approaching the ships suddenly split, eliciting a CAP launch, though upon interception turning out to be a New Zealand Canberra and an Australian Handley Paige transport.

A frontal system accompanied the ships from Australia, descending upon Wellington with gale force winds in the afternoon of the 8th. Nonetheless, some official visits were arranged, and New Zealanders hosted those going ashore. “Here, as in Australia, the hospitality shown to the Task Force was overwhelming.”

A dinner reception ashore for TF 1 officers was attended by high ranking New Zealanders, including Sir Peter Phipps, Chief of Defense Staff and Rear Admiral R.E. Washbourn, Chief of Naval Staff, and their wives. Underway the next morning, the ships rendezvoused northwest of South Island, skirting the front for milder weather.

A party of 32 New Zealand dignitaries arrived on board via COD at 0900 on 9 September, including Keith J. Holyoake, Prime Minister, Air Commander T.F. Gill, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, T.P. Shand, Minister of Labor, A.R. Kinsella, Minister of Education, Dr. D.A. Cameron, Australian High Commissioner and Dean of Diplomatic Corps and H.B. Powell, U.S. Ambassador, New Zealand.

The group witnessed “…what was undoubtedly the most spectacular aerial firepower demonstration of SEA ORBIT,” prompting Prime Minister Holyoake to comment that “…The U.S. is the greatest lover of peace and the greatest hater of war…” In addition, New Zealanders were hosted on board the cruiser and frigate.

Information found here

[beagle]

The USS Texas which visited here in 1981, was quite good to look around. Yes, I went on it with others from our S&S course.

[shorty]

I went onboard the carrier HMS Albion. probably in the late 50s, had Sea Hawks Gannets and Sea Venoms on board from memory, Also the Melbourne called in, she had Gannets and Wessex helicopters, looking at the photos I took I can't see any strike aircraft. Also went onboard the Eagle at Wellington. She had Buccaneers and Sea Vixens which also did an attack on Ohakea, date would have been early 70s.
Also saw, but didn't go onboard, the Chilean Navy sailing ship Esmeralda, that was Auckland in the mid 60s.

Have seen the "old" USS Texas at San Jacinto, now thats a man size restoration project!

[rayo]

Nov 6, 2014 20:22:03 GMT 12 shorty said:

I went onboard the carrier HMS Albion. probably in the late 50s, had Sea Hawks Gannets and Sea Venoms on board from memory

Aplologies if this is a repeat I am sure I have seen it on this forum before but couldn't find it

[nuuumannn]

Very cool clip, rayo. Pictures edited because of photobucket.

[jeffref]

Back in the Sixties and Seventies I was able to visit a number of ships
Carriers USS America and Intrepid and HMS Eagle
Cruisers USS Canberra (CG) and St Paul (CA)
Destroyers well dozens
The best of the lot was INS Delhi although she was better known when she was HMS (and later HMNZS) Achilles
Very haunting that ship

[zkdex]

Late 1970's, there was at least one French warship which visited Wellington. I don't have specific dates to hand...does anyone have any information? Ship I'm thinking of would have been frigate sized...possibly even a destroyer. What I really remember about that ship was the wonderful aroma of cooking!!!

[zkdex]

Recently sighted a photo on the net showing three US submarines tied up at Auckland on 1 September 1945. They were Gato class USS Bluefish (SS-222) and USS Cod (SS-224), and Balao class USS Cabrilla (SS-288). Presumbaly on their way back to USA after operating out of Freemantle, Australia.

[george]

I went aboard the USS Bream and HMS Telemachus in 1957 both submarines

[pjw4118]

I remember the Anchorite submarine for its distinctive smell and that it hit an uncharted rock off Coromandel/Hauraki Gulf now named after the submarine.The Albion visit was memorable for the formations of helicopters flying around Auckland and our teacher loosing her rag asking us were helicopters more interesting than ? that she was teaching . I am sure that we let her down with our answer.

[planewriting]

Nov 6, 2014 20:22:03 GMT 12 shorty said:

I went onboard the carrier HMS Albion. probably in the late 50s, had Sea Hawks Gannets and Sea Venoms on board from memory, Also the Melbourne called in, she had Gannets and Wessex helicopters, looking at the photos I took I can't see any strike aircraft. Also went onboard the Eagle at Wellington. She had Buccaneers and Sea Vixens which also did an attack on Ohakea, date would have been early 70s.
Also saw, but didn't go onboard, the Chilean Navy sailing ship Esmeralda, that was Auckland in the mid 60s.

Have seen the "old" USS Texas at San Jacinto, now thats a man size restoration project!

In November 1959 I went on a class outing and we had lunch at the top of the Parnell Rose Gardens. While there, Gannets from HMAS Melbourne took off for a formation flight over Auckland and then landed. Does anyone know the actual date that occurred? Thanks in advance. 

[Dave Homewood]

Nov 6, 2014 20:22:03 GMT 12 shorty said:

I went onboard the carrier HMS Albion. probably in the late 50s, had Sea Hawks Gannets and Sea Venoms on board from memory.

CROWDS VISIT CARRIER

Women Faint In Heat

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, Jan. 25.

Thousands of Aucklanders queued in the hot sun to visit the British aircraft-carrier Albion today. The official number of visitors received aboard was about 20,000, but many others who travelled to the wharf decided against waiting several hours to get on the ship.

Women and children, fainted with the heat and were treated by police and St. John Ambulance officers. Two ambulances and a police patrol -car were used as first aid posts, iced water was brought from the carrier for the fainting victims and the dozens of thirsty children.

The inspection tour was a lengthy process, strictly controlled because of the size of the crowd and the cramped alleyways of the ship. Yesterday, when a comparatively small crowd was expected, thousands clamoured to get on board and the police had to be called to control the queue. It was not until 7 p.m., two hours after the official visiting time, that the last of the crowd could be cleared from the ship.

Today, control was much firmer. The crowd began to form before 10 a.m. and began to move on board at 1.30 p.m., half an hour before the intended opening time. The heat from the steel deck was intense, and water brought out in dixies was much in demand. At 5.45 p.m., when the wharf was closed to the public, there were still people waiting hopefully to board the Albion. The ship was cleared of visitors by 6.30 p.m. in time to take on board Rear-Admiral V. C. Begg, who returned by helicopter from a flight to Rotorua.

PRESS, 26 JANUARY 1959

[gibbo]

And completely to topic yet present day no less.... www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/united-states-navy-ship-to-visit-new-zealand/

[oj]

"... and water brought out in dixies was much in demand."

Aah, good old dixies. First time I have seen (or heard) the word since about 1965.

[nighthawknz]

A United States Navy ship will visit New Zealand in the next fortnight, it's been announced, providing an opportunity for our Defence Force (NZDF) to receive more training.

The vessel - an Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer - will berth in Wellington at some point this month, the NZDF announced on Wednesday. While on our shores, the ship's crew will train and interact with NZDF personnel, as well as take part in interoperability exercises and official engagements.

The vessel's name and when it is scheduled to arrive and depart are not yet able to be released for operational reasons.

The ship will spend at least 14 days in isolation at sea prior to entering New Zealand, and all crew will require a negative test and to be double-vaccinated against COVID-19 before they're allowed to disembark.

Crew on the ship will be exempt from the COVID-19 Maritime Border Order, as the vessel has been granted diplomatic clearance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. However they will be required to be compliant with the guidelines outlined in the Order.

The NZDF says a visit by a US Navy ship has been under consideration by the US since last year. Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Rear Admiral David Proctor, says the ship's arrival is a demonstration of the US' "active engagement" in the Pacific.

"They present opportunities for improving interoperability between our forces and building trust and understanding between partners," he said.
"NZDF ships and aircraft have also regularly participated in US-hosted exercises such as RIMPAC, and it is nice to be able to return the courtesy and show goodwill as we host a US Navy vessel and her crew here in New Zealand again."

Rear Admiral Proctor says the NZDF and Navy were looking forward to the visit.

"New Zealand and the US share a strong security and defence relationship, close economic links, and shared interests and values.

"The NZDF and the US Navy have a long history of engagement and working together; the latest example of which was the interaction by HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Aotearoa with US Navy and other partners' ships off Guam last month."

The vessel is the same class of ship as the USS Sampson, which visited in 2016 for our Navy's 75th Anniversary and International Naval Review, and was later called on to help respond to the devastation wreaked by the Kaikōura earthquake.

"When the US Navy last visited New Zealand, that earthquake had just hit, and the importance of interoperability was underscored in a completely unexpected way," recounts US Embassy Defense Attaché, Colonel Ian Murray.

"But that's the reality - tomorrow our navies could well be working together to solve problems that don't exist today. The friendships and understanding between our sailors and their Kiwi counterparts, matter in everything from crisis response to a routine refuelling at sea."

www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/11/united-states-navy-ship-to-visit-new-zealand-this-month.html

Didn't expect this from the current government